Not Your Concern
by CSM
Summary: The day before their wedding Kate gets a surprise visit from one of Castle's ex wives.


**Title:** Not Your Concern

**Author:** CSM

**Summary:** The day before their wedding Kate gets a surprise visit from one of Castle's ex wives.

**AN: This was also a prompt I ****received and it was a bit of a challenge. Prompt: ****Gina comes up to Beckett before****/at the wedding**** to warn her not to break Rick's heart. It does end cheesy and sweet though cause I couldn't help myself lol**

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**Not Your Concern**

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She's sitting in the silent loft. Castle's warmest fleece around her shoulders as she sinks into the couch with her worn copy of _In a Hail of Bullets _in her lap. This is the _perfect_ way for her to spend the day before her wedding. Lanie is taking care of some last minute arrangements, as is the maid of honour rights. Castle is at Black Pawn finalizing his Storm summer book tour and both Martha and Alexis are out doing their own things.

She has the loft to herself for the first time, in well _ages._ Ever since she officially moved into the loft a few weeks ago, she's never really been in here on her own, usually Castle is always here with her, and if not Martha would be filtering in on occasion.

It's odd, but she can't say she doesn't enjoy the silence, and it's exactly what she needs less than 24 hours before her weddings. She giggles at the thought of her wedding, 12 year old Katie Beckett is _swooning_ at the notion that soon she will be _Mrs._ Castle, part of her wanting to just put on her wedding dress right this moment and just _twirl_. Kate laughs lightly, Castle would tease her mercilessly if he heard her thoughts.

_Soon_.

She hums in content as she pries open her book, but before she can even read the first line, there is a knock on her door. She sighs in exasperation, her moment of silence shattered. Begrudgingly, she slides off the comfort of the couch and slides her bare feet into her slippers, forgoing the warm blanket. When there is another knock she rolls her eyes.

"I'm coming. I'm coming." She mutters to herself as she grasps the handle of the door.

She pauses at the sight that greets her, not expecting to see Castle's ex-wife Gina standing at the door a bouquet of assortment of flowers in her hands, the bouquet almost twice Gina's head.

"Gina." Kate says, not moving from her spot the door still slightly ajar as she eyes the bouquet then looks back at the woman, "Castle's not here. Actually he's in a meeting with Black Pawn…"

She trails of implying that as his _publisher_ shouldn't Gina be in the same meeting.

"I know. He and Paula are going over the final details." Gina says dismissively. She offers the flowers to Kate who is still eyeing them suspiciously, "These are for you."

"Castle gave _you_ flowers to deliver to _me_?" Kate asks incredulously, as she finally takes the large bouquet from Gina.

"Oh Please. Rick may be clueless at times, but he's not stupid." Gina says with a scoff. "I ran into the delivery guy in the elevator and signed for it for you."

"Thanks?" Kate asks, pointedly ignoring the remark about Castle, as she is not in the mood to get into it with his ex-wife, "Can I help you Gina?"

"You could invite me in." Gina remarks pointedly looking at the still ajar door.

Kate rolls her eyes as she swings the door open, gesturing for Gina to come in. Thankfully the other woman hasn't relinquished her hold on her handbag, indicating she does not plan on staying.

Kate looks at her expectantly, she is surprised when the tough demeanour suddenly softens and Gina looks at Kate seriously, "I came to talk to you about Rick."

"I suspected that much." Kate says suspiciously, unsure where this conversation could go.

It's clear to her that this not a business call but more of a _personal_ call. She and Gina for the most part get along, granted they have only interacted at the few book launches since Kate and Castle have gotten together as well as the occasional intercepted calls involving Castle's missed deadlines. Kate being a last resort for the publisher to get Castle to finish a chapter or book.

Kate's not worried in the slightest, but she would prefer if Castle's ex-wife didn't show up unannounced to their house 24 hours before their wedding. If she believed in omens, she would bet that was not a _good_ one. When she realizes Gina has yet to elaborate Kate speaks, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"No offense Gina, but if you have issues with Rick, shouldn't you be speaking with _him_ instead of…."

"Don't break his heart." Gina blurts out, cutting Kate off.

Kate halts at that, her eyes narrowing at the other woman's audacity, "Not that it's any of your business but I don't plan too."

If she was petty she would have added 'not like you did' but she pretty sure the pause she takes speaks volumes on its own.

"Rick is a good guy." Gina continues, "I don't want to see him…"

Kate holds up her hands stopping Gina in her tracks, "I'm going to stop you right there. I don't know why you think just because you are _one_ of his ex-wives that it gives you the right to come into _my_ home and _warn _me about my intentions towards Rick. You are neither his daughter nor mother, thus you have absolutely _no_ say in this matter."

"I am not telling you to not marry him." Gina says with a roll of her eyes, "I care about Rick…"

"Gina, let's get one thing clear." Kate says her voice like steel, "You are Castle's _publisher_ you can have all the opinions you want when it comes to Nikki Heat, Derrick Storm or any of Castle's _books_. But when it comes to Rick and my relationship…our _marriage_ you have no say it, no matter your intentions. I love Rick and that's all you get. Now I suggest you leave."

For her part Gina doesn't respond but simply nods and walks out the loft. Once the door closes Kate breathes deeply, the wedding jitters she has been trying to calm for the past few days rising yet again. She looks at the bouquet of flowers still in her hands, the odd assortment of flowers catching her attention, making her momentarily forgetting about Castle's ex-wife.

She flips open the card that is neatly tucked into the large bouquet and her heart melts as she sees Castle's messy scrawl taking up the majority of the card.

_Kate,_

_Happy day before our wedding! (Yes this is officially a thing, just go with it)_

Kate laughs wholeheartedly at that as she sniffs the flowers, before placing them on the counter.

_Now I'm sure you're wondering why I got you such an odd combination, especially given the fact that you a perfectly nice bouquet waiting to be thrown tomorrow. Each flower represents how I felt about you a moment in time in the past 6 years._

_Alstroemeria - Friendship. Our relationship is rooted in friendship, we both joke that we wasted so many years before we got together. But we wouldn't be who we are if it wasn't for our amazing friendship for the first 4 years. You're my best friend Kate and you'll always be._

_Gladiolus - Strength of Character. Your strength was the first thing that drew me to you. Your dedication to finding justice and ability to empathize with victims' families was one the many things that inspired me to write Nikki._

_Dendribium Orchid - A Belle. Your stunning beauty still takes my breath away._

_Tulips - Declaration of Love. Despite the circumstances and the year that followed, I never regretted telling you how much I loved you that first time and I plan on telling you that until my dying breath._

_Anemone - Anticipation. I anxiously await tomorrow, so we can start celebrating the rest of our lives together_

_A single red rose - A symbol of our love._

_I love you Kate, with all my heart and I can't wait to begin this journey with you._

_Love Always,_

_Rick_

Kate doesn't even bother to wipe away the tears as she gazes as the assortment of flower in front of her.

_Tomorrow._


End file.
